Feature photo: Getty Images
When it comes to helping fellow athletes with their charitable initiatives, Jason Zucker is the ultimate team player.
Giving back has been a hallmark of Zucker’s NHL career, starting with charitable initiatives he spearheaded during his time with the Minnesota Wild.
By 2019, his GIVE16 campaign had raised more than $1.2 million for the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital in honour of his dear friend, Tucker Helmstrom.
More recently, since winning the 2018-19 King Clancy Trophy for leadership and humanitarian contributions, the 32-year-old forward who is now with Nashville Predators started to explore ways to expand the reach and impact of charitable endeavours – whether it was himself or others raising the funds.
Zucker and his friend, former Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph, had countless discussions about that very idea.
The two had often crossed paths at the same charitable events during Zucker’s time in Minnesota, and realized they share a similar mindset when it comes to charity work.
“I know, and Kyle knows, that we are lucky to have the platform that we do,” said Zucker. “The more we talked about that and other things, the more we focused on looking at the bigger picture.”
In June 2021, Zucker and Rudolph unveiled Alltroo – a digital giving platform that allows fans to enter custom-crafted sweepstakes by donating to charities.
Alltroo, a name inspired by altruism, provides exclusive opportunities to a larger audience of fans to meet with their favourite stars or participate in once-in-a-lifetime experiences while also raising funds for deserving organizations.
Past campaigns, or rallies as they’re referred to by Alltroo, have included a trip to the 2023 NHL Winter Classic to benefit the Sidney Crosby Foundation, tickets to a Kansas City Chiefs game and signed gear from three-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Patrick Mahomes in support of the 15 and the Mahomies Foundation.
Boston Bruins forward Charlie Coyle and Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll are currently running their respective fundraising through Alltroo.
“It fell perfectly into place with Alltroo,” said Woll of the alignment of Altroo and his campaign to benefit Holland-Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital.
“I’m grateful to them for helping with all this. It’s been a team effort.”
Which is precisely how Zucker wants Alltroo to be regarded.
“The biggest thing with Alltroo – one of the mission statements from the beginning – is to amplify the giving ability for everybody,” said the 59th overall pick of the Wild in 2010.
“There are a lot of celebrities who don’t have the time or the manpower to raise money for their charities. Some people want to raise for a multitude of charities, who don’t have a singular focus like I do through GIVE16, so this allows for more flexibility for these athletes and celebrities.”
Last year, Alltroo worked with each NHL team’s nominee for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy to amplify each player’s charity of choice through sweepstakes.
“We ran 32 simultaneous sweepstakes [representing a player from each team],” said Zucker, who was awarded with the King Clancy in 2019.
Zucker and Rudolph are constantly looking at ways to increase the scope of Alltroo.
In January, Alltroo partnered with the NFL to create a sweepstakes tied to the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.
“It's incredibly gratifying to witness a growing roster of players and celebrities, including those from the NHL, turn to Alltroo to meet their charitable aspirations,” said Rudolph, who played 12 NFL seasons, 10 of them with the Vikings.
“What stands out most in their involvement is the shared commitment to leveraging their platforms for the greater good. These individuals come to us with a genuine desire to make a difference, something that's already a priority in their lives.”
As the company’s reputation and popularity have grown, Zucker and Rudolph are looking to attract more athletes and celebrities to utilize what Alltroo offers.
“We want to make it very easy for everyone,” said Zucker.
“For anybody that has been in the charity space for any amount of time, if you are putting on a golf tournament, for example, by the time you do all that, the hours, the expenses, and everything that comes with it – you might not get the most of it as you would like.
“Our focus is to create a bigger impact and have more eyes on it while allowing you to do a fraction of the work.”
Zucker and Rudolph believe the best is yet to come for Alltroo.
“The most exhilarating aspect of Alltroo's future is undoubtedly the potential to generate significant positive change across numerous communities nationwide,” said Rudolph.
“The groundwork that Jason and I laid in Minnesota was just the beginning; Alltroo is poised to magnify the efforts of those dedicated individuals and organizations already making strides in their local areas. Alltroo enables us to leverage our platform to support a broader range of charitable endeavours, creating a ripple effect of doing good that extends far beyond our initial scope.
“It's the opportunity to facilitate and amplify this impact on a grand scale that truly excites me about what lies ahead for Alltroo.”
Zucker echoes those thoughts.
“We want to make it more available to everybody. We’ll keep expanding and I think once more players, including the NHL guys, see how simple it is and the impact they can have, it will benefit a lot of great charities and causes.
“The bottom line is that we want it to be as big as possible and make the biggest impact possible. We’d like it to be the name brand that everyone knows when it comes to charitable giving.”
All done with a team-first approach.
“It's a testament to the power of collaboration and shared vision in creating positive change, and it's a privilege to support these individuals in their philanthropic journeys,” said Rudolph.
